Domesticated animals, such as cats and dogs, often need dental care to prevent dental problems commonly due to plaque, tartar, tooth decay, gingivitis, periodontal disease, and the like. Some veterinarians recommend brushing the animal""s teeth, but as any pet owner knows, such a task is extremely difficult. It is often difficult for the owner to keep the animal""s mouth open during brushing, and the process may be extremely unpleasant for the animal and even dangerous to the owner.
Dental care for animals is generally more difficult to manage than dental care for humans. For example, animals do not voluntarily engage in tooth brushing, and therefore an apparatus or system that encourages them to engage in an activity that will brush their teeth while the animal manipulates an apparatus is desirable.
Furthermore, it is difficult to administer a dentifrice or liquid oral care solution to an animal in measured doses. Adding such a solution to a foodstuff may prove wasteful if the animal does not ingest the foodstuff. Further, dog biscuits and the like have been used to provide solid or granular particles to an animal""s oral cavity, but applying liquid to the oral cavity of an animal typically is more difficult. Liquids in dishes or water bowls may evaporate, or be spilled.
There are pet toys that hold liquids for animals. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,431 to Peterson teaches a hollow rubber toy with a plurality of openings that release dentifrice to the animal upon chewing of the toy by the animal. The openings are provided on essentially the entire outer surface of the animal chew toy, providing for release of the dentifrice from multiple points around the outside periphery of the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,410, issued to Sigurdsson, discloses a chewing object for animals. The toy is constructed of breakable, elastically deformed fibers. The toy is impregnated with a flavoring to attract the animals.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,329,881 and 5,467,741, both issued to O""Rourke, disclose a dog chew toy for dental care. The toy is made of a length of cotton rope. The threads are impregnated with fluoride particles.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,044,800, issued to Kubo et al., discloses a dental care toys for pets. The toy is constructed of edible, thread-like, string-like, or thin-tube-like members. The members are twisted into a cord and tied at the ends.
An apparatus or method of applying liquid to an animal""s oral cavity in a manner that will brush or clean the teeth of the animal concurrently while dentifrice is being applied to the teeth of the animal would be very desirable. Furthermore, a device that will selectively release dentifrice in measured quantities to the oral cavity of an animal, but not directly to carpeting or furniture in a home, would be desirable. A device that limits the direct contact between apertures releasing dentifrice and flooring or carpeting would be highly desirable. A liquid containing chew toy that is capable of releasing liquid only in response to engagement with an animal""s oral cavity at a point that is below the outer surface of the chew toy would be useful. A chew toy that is capable of being refilled when it is empty, so as to prolong the useful lifetime of the toy would be highly desirable.
The present invention is directed to promoting the general health of animals that people keep as pets. The present invention may aid in the brushing of an animal""s teeth, and it may be used to deliver a beneficial substance, such as fluoride, vitamins or mouthwash, to the animal. Moreover, the present invention may be embodied in a shape that promotes play such as a ball or a bone.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an animal chew toy capable of administering a liquid to the oral cavity of an animal having:
a body having more than one surface,
a reservoir that has a plurality of apertures and that may contain a liquid, and
at least one channel adapted for receiving a portion of the jaw of an animal and being of a sufficient depth to facilitate communication between the teeth of the animal and the reservoir.
The reservoir may include a means for distributing the liquid to the animal""s teeth. The distribution means may include almost any apparatus or mechanism capable of spreading a liquid in an oral cavity in an efficient manner. For example, the apparatus may comprise bristles, a sponge-like material, or another suitable material. The distribution means may be disposed on the reservoir; however, the distribution means may also be disposed on the walls of one or more channels.
The reservoir may also include a valve for the addition of additional fluid to the reservoir such as when the reservoir runs dry and must be refilled. The valve may be of any commonly known type of valve capable of holding a water seal or liquid seal. including one similar to an air valve that is used to inflate a basketball or a football.
The apparatus body may take many different shapes or forms such as a ball, a bone, a xe2x80x9cyo-yoxe2x80x9d shape, and other forms. In the xe2x80x9cballxe2x80x9d embodiment, the body may be generally spherical in shape. The channel may be enclosed by a membrane. The membrane has an opening around its circumference to facilitate penetration by an animal""s teeth. The opening may be sinusoidal, or wave-shaped, so that it forms alternating or interlocking projections capable of contacting the interior surfaces of an animal""s oral cavity, for example, massaging an animal""s gums. Further, shielding the reservoir (and its apertures) from the outer surface of the toy can prevent undesirable spillage of the dentifrice upon the floor and carpeting of the pet owner, reducing waste and undesirable spills of dentifrice.
In the xe2x80x9cbonexe2x80x9d embodiment, the body may be elongated. The body may include two channels which may be enclosed by membranes. Each membrane may contain a wave-shaped opening to facilitate penetration by the animal""s teeth. The two channels may be spaced at a distance such that when an animal bites the toy, both rows of teeth penetrate each respective membrane at the same time.
In the so-called xe2x80x9cyo-yoxe2x80x9d embodiment, the body is much like that of the xe2x80x9cballxe2x80x9d embodiment except that no membrane is present over the channel. However, it may be recognized that a membrane is optional and not required in the practice of the invention. In addition to the bristles on the reservoir, there may also be bristles projecting from the channel walls. In the alternative, the wall mounted bristles may be used without having bristles on the reservoir.
The present invention also encompasses a system for administering a liquid to the oral cavity of an animal. The system includes:
a reservoir for containing a liquid,
a body connected to the reservoir,
at least one channel adapted for receiving a portion of the jaw of an animal and being of a sufficient depth to facilitate communication between the teeth of the animal and the reservoir, and
a liquid disposed within the reservoir.
The body may contain one or more channels adapted for penetration by a portion of the jaw of an animal. The channel may contain a means for distributing the liquid, such as bristles. The channel may also be covered by a membrane.
The liquid may be a dentifrice, such as a fluoride containing solution. The liquid may also contain any other beneficial agent, including, but not limited to, flavorings, vitamins, medicines, and the like.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.